Product Details
- Artist: Yael Naïm, David Donatien
|
- Binding: Audio CD
|
- EAN: 0825646960385
|
- Label: Atlantic
|
- Manufacturer: Atlantic
|
- Number of Discs: 1
|
- Product Group: Music
|
- Publisher: Atlantic
|
- Release Date: 2008-03-18
|
- Studio: Atlantic
|
- Title: Yael Naim
|
- UPC: 825646960385
|
Avg Customer Rating: 
Product Description: To begin with, this album was meant to focus solely on guitar and vocals. But little by little Yael and David Donatien, who encouraged her to sing in Hebrew, padded out the architecture and formed a team. Xavier Tribolet (drums), Laurent David (bass), Voed Nir (cello) and Julien Feltin (electric guitar) joined them as well as S.Husky Huskolds for the mix (Tom Waits, Fiona Apple, Me'Shell Ndegeocello). The instrumentation is pretty minimalist here yet incredibly colourful with the participation of the brass section, the Mellotron, the cello and some programming. Recorded in the young woman's flat in Paris the 13 songs contain a part of Yael happy (Endless Song of Happiness) and a melancholic (Paris, Lonely) existence. Some of them, like Yashanti or Lachlom dive into dreams, others like Baboker bathe in the serenity found at the break of day. Shelcha looks at a love with no future. The most outrageous is of course the cover of Britney Spears' Toxic. Listening to these little marvels could possibly remind us of old friends like Tori Amos or Fiona Apple. Yet the ensemble isn't witness to excessive borrowing or exaggerated marking, but quite the contrary revealing a sincerity and absolute musical clarity. In fact it is quite astonishing how something that sounds so familiar could seduce our ears with such a nude and original beauty. Perhaps it is due to the dominance of Hebrew, a language so rarely sung in this context, that comes across as universal as Cesaria Evora's Portuguese Creole? Or is it the simply the very freshness exhaled by the personality of this young woman who discovers in New Soul - sung in English with a contagious optimism - that she is "a new soul, in this foreign world, hoping to learn a little"? "It was when I was really young that I sincerely believed to be an old soul reincarnated and I could even say it gave me a sense of superiority over others. But then as I subsequently did everything the wrong way round I concluded that it was actually my first time on earth and that I should learn to be a more humble." On Far Far, she herself delivers this other perspective, that of a little girl who chases her dreams but who can only achieve them by accepting the "beautiful mess inside". In short both her own personal history and that of this simply magical record.
|
Customer Reviews
One of a New Generation of Singer-Songwiters
One of my favorite emerging SS along with American, Arrica Rose... both these artists send forth a rich gamut of musical styles in their newest CDs with deliveries that are charismatic.Their music never gets dull or boring- each song brings a new dimension to their music. Check out Arrica Rose's new most powerful album La La Lost.
|
Worth a listen
My Introduction to Yael Naim was a live performance on the "World Cafe". I had never heard of her before. Her voice just knock me out. I bought this CD that day. I was not disappointed when I heard it. Give the samples a listen you might have the same reaction I did. New Soul is a fun pop tune and her singing in different languages did not wear on me. It is a great example of how a voice can be a musical instrument
|
Not what I thought...
This was not what I thought it was and I really did not care for it.
|
It Wears on You
The novelty factor in this album (she sings in several different languages) wears off quick. If you want world music I'd recommend the Putumayo CDs. This album here is dull and repetitious (though exciting at first because you have no idea what she's on about).
|
Yael Naim - Yael Naim
Yael Naim (2008, Warner) Yael Naim's first studio album. **1/2
Several female artists have had their breakthroughs due to their single being featured on a commercial (Sara Bareilles and Feist are just a few). Yael Naim is one of them. Her song "New Soul" is a catchy and bouncy simple piano ballad that grows to full orchestration as it reaches its peak, all the way assisted by Naim's accented lyrics. The song is not bad; it's not incredibly infectious and doesn't have the staying power of songs like "Love Song" and "1234," but then again, that may not have been the point. The album itself is a definitive hit-and-miss affair, with the misses being more notable than the hits. Naim sings in Hebrew (at least I think it is) occassionally, it doesn't sound pretty and doesn't fit the album. French has proven the only other language worthy on a label release. Not a terrible start, but not a great one, either.
-Stephen
www.politicianrock.blogspot.com
|
|